New figures reveal British pubs are paying nearly five times the business rates of comparable shops and restaurants.
According to a British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) study published this week, pubs pay 2.8 per cent of business rates yet account for just 0.5 per cent of total rateable turnover.
With the Budget just days away, leading MPs have stepped up the pressure on the Government to deliver a Budget that will help keep pubs afloat.
A letter signed by 50 MPs from all parties has been delivered to the Treasury to demonstrate the support for British pubs. It calls on the Chancellor to freeze beer duty for the rest of this Parliament and introduce an annual £5,000 business rate relief for pubs.
Tim Page, Campaign for Real Ale’s Chief Executive comments: “Pubs play a hugely important role in our social lives and the cohesion of their local communities. They act as a common meeting ground for friends, family and colleagues alike, helping to bring people from all walks of life together. In many areas they are the last remaining public meeting space, with so many libraries and meeting halls already lost.
“Yet pubs cannot continue to shoulder such a massive tax burden and ultimately it is the consumer that is affected when the price of a pint goes up. We need the Treasury to act now by delivering a Budget for Britain’s pubs.”
If you have any concerns or queries regarding your business, our advisers at Beavis Morgan have extensive experience of working with clients in the hospitality sector and our professionals are acknowledged experts in issues affecting pubs, bars and restaurants.
Contact Matthew Burge or your usual Beavis Morgan Partner for further information about how we can assist you and your hospitality business.
Further reading: Entrepreneurs unite against business rates rise